Foldable label holder



NOV. 17, 1970 R, TOURRE FOLDABLE LABEL HOLDER Filed April 25, 1968 Eig United States Patent O M U.S. Cl. 40-23 9 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE This disclosure concerns a label having two halves elastically foldable one on the other around a central fold Zone on the edge of a slip of paper or the like, and having hooking or fastening means permitting to maintain it stationary in its folded state but removably on the slip of paper, the positioning of the label on the slip of paper being ensured by means of external shoulders forming stops, of two protruding bosses on the inner surfaces of the label, at least one of these bosses having an inner hollow closed by the other boss for receiving an identification tag, the central folding zone, comprised between the inner shoulders of the bosses having a sufficient width so that during folding of the two halves, the bosses fit on one another, plane upon plane.

This invention is concerned with labels which carry identification tags such as subject entries, for files or the like (hereinafter designated by the term label), in particular to those which comprise a removable tag, and has for its purpose especially to render such labels more suited to present day use.

The characteristics of the invention will appear from the following description and accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. l is a perspective view of one embodiment of the label according to the invention in open position.

FIG. 2 shows the same label on a card.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are cross-sections through two labels of the same type provided with means for fastening them on cards to be identified and made according to embodiments different from those of FIG. l.

FIG. is an enlarged cross-section of a part of the label according to FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a cross-section through a label having other improvements.

Referring to the drawing, there can be seen a label carrying a tag 1 intended to serve for identifying strip F.

This label 1 is constituted by a single piece made of a liexible plastic material by moulding and comprising two tags 2a and 2b which are resiliently foldable one upon the other, around a central folding zone 3 on a slip F as will be described hereinafter, this label comprising on both sides of folding zone 3 two fiat bosses 3a and 3b having a holloWed-out section 4 for receiving an identification card shown in dotted lines by reference character 5.

Folding zone 3 defined between the inner Shoulders 4a and 4b of said bosses has a sufiicient width such that bosses 3a and 3b can be applied against one another when the two halves 2a and 2b are completely folded upon one another, this width being equal to at least, and possibly twice, the thickness of one of the halves at the level of the corresponding boss, for example equal to the length of the half circumference of a circle whose radius is substantially equal to the thickness of one of said halves at the level of the corresponding boss.

The outer shoulders 6a, and 6b and the inner surfaces of legs 7a and 7b of said halves which extend beyond lbosses 3a and 3b define during complete folding of one 3,540,140 Patented Nov. 17, 1970 ICC half upon the other, a groove 8 (visible on FIGS. 3 and 4) which permits the fitting of label 1 on a card or slip F.

The label comprises also fastening or hooking members permitting it to be maintained on the slip or card in its completely folded state.

These members are advantageously constituted by male elements 9, carried for example by legs 7b, which, during mounting of the label on the slip, passing through holes made in said slip, near its edge, engage and are retained by friction in female elements 11 constituted by simple orifices, formed in legs 7 and '8. In the case of FIG. 2, holes 10 of slip F have a diameter of the same order of magnitude as the male elements 9 of label 1.

According to another embodiment of the retaining member, shown in FIG. 3. holes 10 have a diameter which is greater than the male elements 9, the female element carried by tag 2a comprising then, additionally, an annular bridle 12 projecting on the inner surface of legs 7 and 8, this bridle 12 engaging in holes 10 of slip F and producing a self-clamping of the label on the slip during pressure engagement of male element 9 in annular bridle 12.

According to another embodiment of these retaining members (FIGS. 4 and 5), male element 9 assumes the shape of a snap-fastener terminated by a head 13 of a larger diameter, and the female element is constituted by a stepped opening whose part 14 having a larger diameter and located on the side of the outer surface of legs 7 and 8 cooperates with head 13 of the male element after the same has been force-fitted through the narrower part 15 of the female opening.

This last fastening embodiment has the advantage that it is possible to avoid that male element 13 carried by one of the legs touch against the outer surface of the other leg of the label, thus avoiding local thickening of the label. Naturally there can be envisaged any other fastening technique for the label on the slip, the same being possible without opening 10 and cooperating with adhesive air surfaces of legs 7a, 7b of the label.

In the above modification, the identification tag 5 is completely imprisoned inside recess 4.

This embodiment presupposes that the plastic material of which the label is made is transparent. The tag is then completely protected and can only be seen by transparency.

In the case where an opaque plastic material were used, a window 16 could be provided in recess 4 (FIGS. 4 and 5) which would have a smaller cross section than it, the label remaining the same as in the previous case lbetween bosses 3a and edges 17 remaining in the bottom of the hollow of boss 3b.

According to another modication of the invention, label 1 has on the inner surface 3c of part 3a means permitting the positioning and the retention of the tag. These means which are preferably made by moulding consist of a boss in the shape of a frame 3d which, when the label is placed, bear on the edge of the tag (FIGS. 1 and 6). These means can also be small tongues, studs or the like. The said boss 3b has a judicious height and penetrates in hollow 4 of boss 3b. A sufiicient spacing is provided between the bottom of the hollow and frame 3d to rmit the fitting of tag 5`which is held in position.

According to the invention, the slips or cards used in conjunction with the labels have holes 10 which are judiciously and regularly spaced preferaby on at least two of their adjacent sides, as can be seen in FIG. 2.

According to the |modification shown in FIG. 6, the fastening of the label on the slip or card takes place by means of snap-fasteners 18 made by moulding for example. These snap-fasteners have a body 18a which is cylindrical and has a truncated head 18. These snapfasteners cooperate with corresponding female elements 3 lformed by stepped housings 3e in part 2a. These housings 3e comprise an annular tie 3f which engages in the perforations of the slip and produces a self-clamping during engagement of the corresponding snap-fastener. To facilitate the introduction of this member, the housings have a truncated entry defined by annular tie 3f.

A groove 3g or other similar means can be made substantially in the middle part of each of the half sections of the label.

The advantages ofthe invention appear clearly from the description.

By means of the invention there can be obtained a label moulded in one piece and accordingly of a low cost price which is removable and which can be mounted extremely rapidly on a card to be indexed and which retains its tag in a completely permanent manner as long as it is in position on the slip or card to be identified.

What is claimed is:

1. A label holder adapted to be secured to sheet material,

comprising a moulded plastic member having two body portions of like size having end edges and parallel opposite side edges, an integral exible hinge portion of lesser thickness than said body portions connecting adjacent edges of said body portions ifor folding said body portions flat against one another in face-to-face relation, recess means in at least one of said body portions spaced from end edges and side edges of said body portion and comprising an area of lesser thickness than marginal areas of said body portion, said recess means having a depth to accommodate a label between said body portions with marginal areas of said body portions in contact with one another, leg portions extending frorn the side edges of said body portions opposite said hinge portion and adapted to receive said sheet material between them, said leg portions being of lesser thickness than said `body portions to provide a spacing to accommodate said sheet material when said body portions are engaging one another in face-to-face relation and to define a shoulder abutting an edge of said sheet material to position said label holder relative t0 said sheet material, and means for securing said leg portions on said sheet material.

2. A label holder according to claim 1, in which said 4 thinner hinge portion has a width equal to half the circumference of a circle having a radius equal to the thickness olf one of said body portions.

3. A label holder according to claim 1, in which said recess means comprises a rectangular recess in one of said body portions and projecting frame means on the other of said body portions to receive a label and projecting into said recess of the rst mentioned body portion.

4. A label holder according to claim 1, in which one of said leg portions is provided with at least one hole and in which said securing means comprises an integral stud on the other of said leg portions extending through a hole in said sheet material and received and retained in said hole in the rst mentioned leg portion. v

5. A label holder according to claim 4, in which said stud has a resilient head of larger diameter than said hole, said head lbeing forced through said hole and engaging said rst mentioned leg portion to secure said stud in said hole.

6. A label holder according to claim S, in which said iirst mentioned leg portion has a recess concentric with said hole to receive said head.

7. A label holder according to claim 4, in which said iirst mentioned leg portion has an annular tlange surrounding said hole and projecting to said second mentioned leg portion, said flange surrounding said stud and being received in a hole in said sheet material.

8. A label holder according to claim 1, in which said plastic member is transparent.

9. A label holder according to claim 1, in which one of said body portions is provided with a window, the edges of which are spaced inwardly of the perimeter of said recess means.

f References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,465,576 8/1923 Biggs. 2,505,250 4/1950 Kime 40--152 3,150,457 9/1964 Thieme 40-10 EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner W. I. CONTRERAS, Assistant Examiner 

